# Best Beginner Humidor For An Occasional Smoker



## PenguinsFan88

Hi all,

Am an occasional cigar smoker but I'm thinking of finally breaking down and asking my fiance for a small humidor for my birthday. But before I do I just have a few questions:

To fill you in about my cigar smoking habits, even though I'm on an even tighter budget now (as I'll be moving to Kitchener by October) I'm the type of guy that'll just buy random single Cubans whenever I can afford to as I like to sample whatever I can try when I can afford to buy good cigars. Throughout my journey, I've found and tried some damn good smokes IMO. All on my own and for pretty affordable prices too as again I'm essentially pretty poor. I'll usually spend about $12-25 per cigar and buy a few at a time when I can afford to do so. 


Idealistically, I'd love to get a basic humidor setup going after I move in to my new apartment in Kitchener in October. Nothing huge, I'm sure a 20-25 count humidor will do. As like I said I don't have much money but I will splurge and buy single or sample packs of cigars whenever I can. I'd love to get just a nice, basic, humidor setup going (that's as easy to set up and to maintain as possible) so that I can store and age random cigars that I buy (after I move ) if I don't wanna smoke them right away. I know I can't afford good boxes of premium cigars (i.e. boxes of R&J or Cohiba), but I would love to order sampler packs online if I could get a basic humidor setup going and then that way I could have a nice variety of singles at my disposal for whenever I want to smoke them.

Based on my smoking habits/finances etc. an any of you reccomend a good beginner humidor that would suit my needs???? And remember I'm in Canada so the shipping might be a bit tight. And no I preferably don't wanna fiddle around with that "Tuppador" concept unless I absolutely have to. Again I'm just looking for a basic, yet dependable and good working quality 20-25 count humidor that could fit on my desk perhaps and is as easy to set up and maintain as possible.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Eastree

> I will splurge and buy single or sample packs of cigars whenever I can.


Honestly, you'll find that things add up a little faster than you think; I'd recommend larger than a 25-count humidor. Then again, you know your smoking habits better than I do.



> And no I preferably don't wanna fiddle around with that "Tuppador" concept unless I absolutely have to


That said, I recommend Cuban Crafters (.com) humidors. I just checked, and they do ship outside the U.S. Granted, one of theirs is the only humidor I've had since the tiny ones I purchased several years ago which weren't so good (so I won't name those). I have one of their 120-count humidors. After two bombs, three small online orders, and two trips to local stores, it's about packed out. Like I said: It adds up quickly.

Others may suggest different humidor makers. I'm sure there are many great options I never even considered.


----------



## Mante

Buy the best you can afford is all I can say and inspect it before purchase to make sure it has good craftsmanship & sealing. With humidors you often get what you pay for.

If you want stability & ease of use throw the included humidifier on the scrap heap & buy a reliable medium, there are numerous choices but you will be more limited as space is a concern in a small humidor. Most of all, enjoy the journey.


----------



## Fuzzy

Tupperware!! Really, almost maintenance free. No Status symbol but an almost perfect way to store and protect your cigar stash. Check out this link. http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-accessory-discussion/308255-how-build-ultra-cheap-tuperdor-step-step-w-pics.html


----------



## PenguinsFan88

Tashaz said:


> Buy the best you can afford is all I can say and inspect it before purchase to make sure it has good craftsmanship & sealing. With humidors you often get what you pay for.
> 
> *If you want stability & ease of use throw the included humidifier on the scrap heap & buy a reliable medium, there are numerous choices *but you will be more limited as space is a concern in a small humidor. Most of all, enjoy the journey.


Like what??

And are Cheap Humidors (.com) legit??? I've heard a few good things about them on here, but I don't know how outrageous their shipping prices to Canada are. Or if they're really just selling junk???? They do have Starter Kits I've noticed.


----------



## Mante

PenguinsFan88 said:


> Like what??
> 
> And are Cheap Humidors (.com) legit??? I've heard a few good things about them on here, but I don't know how outrageous their shipping prices to Canada are. Or if they're really just selling junk???? They do have Starter Kits I've noticed.


Cheap humidors are legit but their products can be a crap shoot quality wise. I have two from them, one has a perfect seal but the other leaks.

At the risk of firing up the beads vs everything debate I would install Heartfelt beads as they take up minimum space in a small humidor. Boveda packs are another option for a small footprint as well.

When you have purchased your humidor take a read through Herf n Turf's humidor seasoning tutorial as it is a solid write up on how to do it right the first time.


----------



## Eastree

The more common alternatives to the usually included foam pucks in small humidors is beads. Heartfelt is one common brand, though there are others, and kitty littler beads (the silicate litter crystals; not the clay litter!) is also quite useful in the same way.

Cheap Humidors may sell some decent product, but as with ALL humidors, be sure you test the seal, to be sure! As for their shipping rates, my only suggestion is to contact them and ask.

The paper test (or dollar bill test) is usually a pretty good check: close the lid on a strip of paper and tug. If the paper pulls out very freely, the seal is bad. Return the humidor post haste! But if the paper has a lot of resistance, or better yet tears, the seal is pretty good. If you get a glass-top humidor, test the glass to see whether it wiggles. If it does, the seal is bad. Glass isn't always a bad thing, but it can be a place where leaks occur. If the humidor has no glass the flashlight test, though less reliable than the paper test, can also help detect leaks in places the paper test can't be done, such as at the hinges. Any light seen outside the closed box indicates a leak.


----------



## longburn

A cooladoor or tupperware works very well for now if you want to save up to get something nice. Personally I wouldn't recommend getting a 20-25 stick humi. This hobby has a way of growing and you want something that will be large enough to keep you happy for a while. Plus a 120 count really isn't that much more. I have two humidors from Cheap humidors and they do well. Like Warren said take a close look at them because their product vary considerably depending on which manufacturer they are ordering from at the time.


----------



## PenguinsFan88

Yeah I don't know if I should order online or wait till I'm in Kitchener. I know Walper's Tobacco Shop in Kitchener has a website but obviously I've never been there yet. I'd post links to their site and their humidors, but my post count isn't high enough yet.

Anyone ever deal with them??? I also thought of maybe ordering from The Smokin' Cigar Inc. shop in Toronto. Are they any good?


----------



## sum12nv

Not that they are super high end by any means but you can score some real good deals on humidors at cigarbid


----------



## PenguinsFan88

So realistically how much should I be planning on spending for my first humidor???

I was thinking of something in the $100-150 Canadian range. Am I correct?


----------



## sum12nv

You should be able to get something pretty nice for that budget from any of the above listed places. I purchased my 100 count for $55 and have bought a 25 count for $7 and a 40 count for $22 from cbid


----------

